


A Constant

by ChibiYoda



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Science Boyfriends, Science Bros, This Is My Ship and It Has Wrecked Me, pre-Science Boyfriends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-28
Updated: 2017-07-28
Packaged: 2018-12-03 23:11:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11542398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChibiYoda/pseuds/ChibiYoda
Summary: Much around them may have changed, but their friendship remains the same.





	A Constant

It had been two days, almost to the hour, since FRIDAY alerted Tony to Bruce's presence on the floor below his own. There had been one update, several hours later, informing Tony that his friend had briefly left his suite to meet a pizza delivery at the service elevator. Nothing more since then.

He figured that Bruce was tired and grimy and in lord knows what condition. He had no idea where Bruce had been during the past, what, months? Years? Tony didn't want to do the math to determine the exact amount of time. It was too depressing. He had never stopped searching, though. In his effort to find Bruce, Tony'd spent countless hours using every resource he had, as well as conjuring up a couple of new methods of tracking. Yet his whereabouts had stumped Tony's impressive investigatory skills, and little by little, Tony adjusted to the fact that he would see Bruce again only if Bruce wanted to be seen. And that did not sit well with Tony.

Now Bruce was back, and Tony was losing his mind being kept in the dark like this. FRIDAY would have notified him if Bruce had been in any physical distress, so Tony was fairly confident that Bruce's health was not an issue. As for his emotional state? Tony would bet money that it was in tatters.

"Boss, Dr. Banner has relocated to the lab on 77."

Tony startled at FRIDAY's voice. "He's out of hibernation? About time!"

He headed for the elevator.

 

Time passes differently for Bruce when Hulk is out to play, but he can still sense that he had been away for a considerable chunk of time. Bruce meandered around the lab, not really focusing on anything in particular. It appeared that Tony had been in at some point. Projects that Bruce had been working on had been saved and stored away, with the hope that he would return to them some day.

Bruce didn't even flinch when his thoughts were interrupted by the slow beat of footsteps approaching. He honestly couldn't believe that Tony had waited this long to seek him out. Maybe he was more upset with him than Bruce had calculated. He heard a soft "Hey," and turned around.

Hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans, Tony's eyes scanned Bruce's form in a quick assessment. He looked to be in one piece. Not as thin as he'd been when Tony first met him, but he thinks Bruce may have missed a few meals here and there. And his hair was different. Tony's nose wrinkled involuntarily, then relaxed when he reminded himself that it would grow back.

With the initial rush of adrenaline at the sight of his friend subsiding, Tony asked, "When were you planning on telling me that you were back?"

Bruce eyed Tony fondly. He shouldn't have been surprised at how good it felt to see him again. A wave of familiarity gave him a comfort he hadn't felt in far too long. He offered a half-smile. "I figured you'd notice me eventually. I just didn't want anyone to know I was back yet."

"Anyone? Or someone."

Bruce didn't know how much Tony actually knew, but he imagined it was enough. "She pushed me off a cliff," he stated matter-of-factly.

One of Tony's hands left its pocket and began rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, she mentioned something along those lines."

Bruce leaned back against the table behind him. "She never wanted me. I knew that. What I failed to anticipate was how far she'd go to get to him."

"She made a decision in a time of crisis." Tony's tone was tinged with the anger that he'd kept bottled up all this time. He wasn't condoning the action by any means. He just didn't want to make a bad situation worse by running his mouth too much.

"Thus making her intentions perfectly clear. She wanted to conquer her fear. Be back in control. Even at the expense of betraying a friend. Or maybe the friendship was a lie, too." Though he'd had an inkling of what had been going on, he was still hurt and disappointed by the ordeal.

Tony knew a little about being betrayed by a friend. "Seems the fairer sex doesn't always play fair." He knew a little about that as well.

"So...Pepper..." Bruce shook his head in lieu of actually finishing a sentence he didn't want to.

"I was going to propose. She said she could think of something better." Tony sighed heavily. "All for the best, I'm sure. She needs someone who understands her a little better." Then after a pause, "Maybe I do, too."

Bruce nodded slightly. What else could he do.

There was a moment of quiet as an easy companionship which had been sorely missed by each of them began to take root once again.

Usually Tony was the one to break a silence, but Bruce was reminded of something curious. "Where is everybody, anyway. I haven't seen another soul around the upper floors."

Tony's eyes glanced away for a second before he managed some excitement. "We've got a brand new place upstate. The team's been acquiring some new members so we needed a bigger playpen. I think you'll like it. Lots of trees and nature. Built you another lab there with duplicate equipment. This way you'd have one at home and one at work."

Home. Bruce knew in his heart that he'd always have a place here, or wherever Tony might be. But after leaving so abruptly and being away for so long, he needed to hear that affirmation.

Tony is proud that Bruce has come such a long way in not feeling like a complete outcast anymore. But he's also very aware that deeply held beliefs will still haunt from time to time. After catching the nearly imperceptible way Bruce's body relaxed, Tony decided to get to the task of filling his long-lost buddy in on all the recent festivities. "You hungry? Let's grab some grub. Then, boy, do I have a bedtime story for you."

As they started out, Bruce threw an arm around Tony's shoulder. "I've got a pretty good one for you, too."

"Me first!" Tony chirped.

"Does the phrase 'Gladiator Hulk' interest you at all?" Bruce turned his head in time to see Tony's jaw drop.

"You first. Definitely." Tony amended.

**Author's Note:**

> I love Natasha, but hate what they did to both her and Bruce in AoU. I also like Pepper. I've just never understood her and Tony's relationship.


End file.
